Riu Yucatan

We stayed at the Riu Yucatan in Playa Del Carmen in the 2nd week of July, arriving at Cancun International airport around 6pm n the evening. The airport itself was very quiet, with not too many planes on the ground, so after walking around 10 minutes to the border control, there were no queues, resulting in us being out in about 12 minutes after disembarking. We managed to keep everything as hand luggage via a large roll-on and small rucksack, so it was then simply a case of finding out where to pick up our hotel transfer.

The Transfer to Resort

If you are a Riu club member (which is free), they provide free transfers to all of their resorts in Playa del Carmen, as long as you book it within 72hrs of departure. There is a ‘Destination Transport’ desk just outside of the terminal adjacent to the bus and taxi ranks, which acts as the coordination point for many tour operators. You should see the RIU sign on the counter – its nothing fancy, just a small podium in the open air with a third party representative acting as your contact. Just give them your name and they should call your transport. He did initially say it ay be up to an hour before it arrived, but it actually turned up after 10 minutes. The journey to the resort was 70 minutes door to door.

The journey was quite uneventful, but the air conditioned vehicle was much needed in the muggy heat (around 29C/88F).

Check In

Upon arrival, we were met with a bell boy to bring in our cases. The foyer is quite an open plan affair with the check in desk being on the left as you walk in. We were seen quite promptly, but the check in was quite slow – taking around 15-20 minutes, most of which was taken up having to re-do the bill (you pay in full at check in), but oddly, you have to pay for the room charges and taxes in two different currencies. As our reservation was actually priced in Euros due to us living in the UK (presumably because RIU is Spanish based), we initially opted to pay in that, but the clerk advised us that if it wasn’t in either USD or MXN the surcharge on their machines is significantly higher. They also discourage paying by AMEX unless you want an even higher commission – all of which they oddly add to the bill. The difference between paying via VISA and an Amex card in anything other than USD was around $190 on a £1125 bill – so not insignificant.

The Room

We were given room number 6104, which is in block 6 nearest to the beach, but as we were soon to find out, it was also right next to the entertainment stage – which boomed out for most of the night keeping us awake – and we don’t mean minor – so avoid this if you aren’t a late night reveller who enjoys being last up. The room itself was a little dated and showed signs of wear and tear, especially the shower, but was clean and presentable. The beds were firm and clean, with good aircon. There were all of the usual amenities, such as aircon, a fridge, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, safe, direct dial phone, TV and adequate storage. The next morning we went to reception and asked to be moved to a quieter block which they managed to do that afternoon – namely 4103. This was still close to the beach but far enough back to avoid the noise from the entertainment area. The room was actually much brighter and less dated than the previous one, with a nice balcony overlooking the gardens. We spent many a night watching the coatis and cute animals strolling around in front of us. You also have your own self dispense bar with vodka, gin, run, whisky (all local) with a fully stocked fridge with beer, soft drinks and large bottled water. They don’t always refill it, but if you ask the maid, she will replenish it for you. I’d also suggest you budget around $10 USD per day as a tip for housekeeping as they do a great service and make you up daily animals on your bed, for very little wages,

Food

There are a few options for food that you can choose on site, ranging from an Italian restaurant (Sicilia) next to reception, a Chinese/Asian one called Shanghai which is a bit of a hidden secret down to the left of the bar area and adjacent to the main Hacienda restaurant where you have the breakfast buffet and optional evening meals. There is also a couple of fast food locations down by the pool, along with another larger buffet and Mexican venue next to the beach and a Steak Restaurant called La Margarita.

In all honesty, there wasn’t too much of a difference in the quality and standard of foods at any of the outlets, all were pretty much ok, but not great. Oddly enough the worst meal we had was in the Mexican restaurant, where the meat was overcooked and the fajitas and enchiladas were cold. We did that once and wouldn’t go back. I also don’t understand how anyone can overcook a fillet steak, but that’s exactly what they did in La Margarita. In general, most food was mass produced on grills and stoves, which meant everyone gets the same well cooked, but ‘safe’ food. The Italian restaurant was ok, but again not great, but for us the place we felt was the best of the bunch was Shanghai – as there it was less mass produced and tasted better. They have a small selection of Indian, bigger selection of Chinese, some Thai and sushi. The service was also much more personal and friendly, with a special mention to Vincent, although to be fair, most staff on the resort were helpful.

Breakfast is in the big Hacienda restaurant next to reception and is buffet style. They have an omelette bar and loads of your standard fare with plenty of fruit, cereals, pastries, breads and hot drinks. None of the automated coffee machines offered decaff, which was a thumbs down for us, but the waiting staff will bring you a cup of hot water and a nescafe decaf sachet if that will suffice. Overall, you won’t go hungry, but it can get busy.

Entertainment

Most nights they have some form of entertainment on in the main pavilion down by the beach. This ranges from small bands early on, followed by stage shows. These were actually quite entertaining for the most part, although for us, we were glad we listened to the suggestion to go to the Riu White Party at the sister resort – Tequila, on Friday nights at 8pm. Its literally 400m from the front gate and you can safely walk there – only make sure you take a phone with a flashlight as the streets are pitch black at night. The show they put on there was quote a spectacle, and the party atmosphere was contagious. There were people of all ages, and would be the place your kids would love if they are bored teens. They had a good DJ who kept the audience fired up, as did the exotic dancers and stilted robots! Well worth a visit.

Beach

The beach itself is beautiful, although we sadly arrived when they had the problem with the sargassum seaweed – which prevented access to the water some days and was a bit smelly. They did however work non stop to clear it up, which allowed us 2 days out of our 7 with an actual tidy beach and turquoise water. There are also loads of water sport providers lurking around, so if you want to parasail, jetski or have a boat ride, you can find plenty of options.

There are plenty of loungers on the beach, but oddly, no parasols – so if it is really hot you have no shade.

The Pool Area

One of our biggest complaints was the practice of people lounge blocking – by getting up early and putting their towels on loungers – but not turning up until mid afternoon. The number of times we came down and struggled to find anything near the pool was tiresome, even though we came down around 9.30am Staff acknowledged it was an issue, but they said they have no power over it. There were some fun aspects of the pool area, one being the Aqua Fit Class at 1115 each day for 45 mins. It is usually run by a real character called Gustavo who’s antics and energy make for a fun session which gets everyone involved. They also have a foam party on one of the days, which is quite fun too.

There is also a swim up bar next to the main pool which is always packed but can be a nice way to sit and people watch if that’s your kind of thing. It’s not that big an area, so can get quite busy, but the bar staff are super friendly and accommodating.

Gym and Spa

There is a reasonably well equipped gym at the entrance to the resort which has some cardio machines, multi gym kit and free weights. They also have cold water dispensers and an efficient aircon system. They also provide hand towels so you don’t need to bring any from your rooms. It never really got busy.

The Renova Spa is next to the gym, but we thought it was quite expensive for what it was – especially in Mexico, as the prices were similar to what you’d pay at a high end US resort. Their signature massage was $214 for 80 minutes and a 50 minute relaxing massage was $139 USD. Facials ranged from $119 USD - $175 – which is even more than you’d pay in London. So we gave that a miss, even though we would typically spend a few hundred being pampered after a long flight. They are missing a trick here, as I’m sure they’d be much busier if they’d give package rates that don’t cost these mainland prices.

Bars

There are numerous across the resort, but only one that is 24hrs next to reception. You generally don’t have to wait long to be served and the bar staff are quite knowledgeable with regards to cocktails. If you are down by the pool be sure to try out a ‘Scooby Doo’ or Superman’ shot, they are surprisingly moreish.

Wifi

It was ok, but not great. You can get a reasonable signal in most rooms, but can get patchy in the grounds – you get 2 device per room, but can tether them to additional devices.

Conclusion

Overall, it wasn’t what we would class as a 5 star resort or holiday, so I think that may have set our expectations too high from the outset, but after a while it grew on us. For the money, its not bad value as long as you don’t expect 5 star food or accommodation. The staff are helpful on the most part, and some genuinely try and assist where they can.

PROS

Relatively good value Nice beaches when there is no seaweed Friendly staff Nearby gift shops and stores and chemist within 250 m from the hotel entrance Clean rooms Cute animals wandering around Acceptable nightly entertainment

CONS

Not 5 star food or accommodation Buildings are a little dated Problem seaweed at times Overly Expensive Spa Noisy rooms next to the entertainment areas No elevators to the upper floors

TIPS

Stay away from the blocks near the entertainment areas if you are a light sleeper Ask for a ground floor room if you have mobility issues Become a RIU Class member to get free transfers and a 10% discount

Having travelled to many Caribbean islands and hotels this hotel for the reasons I will detail did not meet the general standard.

The hotel has many positives. The staff were friendly, hardworking and welcoming throughout our stay. Our room was always clean, and the bed was very comfortable. Diana in breakfast was especially sweet.

Unfortunately, our holiday was overshadowed by serious concerns about the swimming pools. There were visible green deposits on the pool tiles, some tiles were missing, and green deposits could also be seen on surrounding fixtures and furniture around the pool area. These deposits did not appear to be the result of a single day's build-up but suggested an ongoing maintenance issue.

Whilst we were there, we did not personally witness the pool tiles being scrubbed or deep cleaned, despite being up early most mornings and regularly walking around the pool area. We did, however, observe chemicals being added to the pool.

After using the pool, our swimwear and skin became stained green, and I also developed a rash, which heightened my concerns. We reported the issue immediately because we believed it raised genuine health and safety concerns. This has never happened to me in the many years I've travelled.

Visible algae in a swimming pool is not simply an aesthetic issue. It can indicate that sanitation or maintenance requires attention, can make surfaces slippery, and may reduce the effectiveness of disinfectants if not properly managed. This is why I took the condition of the pool seriously and reported it immediately.

We asked to see the pool water test results but were not shown them during our stay, despite repeatedly raising our concerns. We were repeatedly told the green staining was caused by sunscreen. In our view, this did not adequately explain the visible green deposits around the pool or the extensive green staining . Luckily it was the hotels towels stained but we did have to bin our swimsuits.

I also understand that green staining can have several potential causes, including elevated levels of dissolved metals such as copper. When I raised this possibility, I was informed that the hotel did not test for dissolved metals or mineral levels. Without those tests, I do not believe it was possible to rule out all potential causes before attributing the staining solely to sunscreen.

On more than one occasion, two of the pools were closed due to guests vomiting. Whilst I appreciate this can happen at any hotel and that pools must be temporarily closed for treatment, it added to our concerns about the overall management of the pool facilities. I would be interested to know if the pool was drained to sort this as I personally didn't see.

During our stay and afterwards, Riu advised us that TUI was responsible for dealing with our complaint. However, when we contacted TUI, they advised they had accepted the hotel's assurance that the pool water met the required standards and closed the complaint. As a guest, it was frustrating to feel caught between the hotel and the tour operator, with each referring us back to the other rather than taking ownership of our concerns.

It is disappointing because the hotel has many strengths, but guests are entitled to expect facilities to be maintained to a reasonable standard and for health and safety concerns to be taken seriously. I hope the condition of the pool is fully investigated so that future guests can enjoy the facilities with confidence. With seaweed season you need a pool you can swim in. We ended up purchasing more excursions to enable us to get a nice clean swim in.